. >> how jim lovell is remembering the first man to step on the moon. >> jim lovell best known as theng were good friends. lovelel says even though his friend is gone, neil armstrong will continue to inspire. >> the eagle has landed. >> neil is the symbol of what this country stands for, what we can accomplish a report or mind to it, if we work as a team. >> former astronaut captain jim lovell describes his friend as a quiet man. but every time neil armstrong spoke people listened carefully. jim lovell says neil armstrong never considered himself to be more special than anyone on his team. one reason he said armstrong avoided the spotlight. why do you think he maintained a lower profile? >> he did not want to play on his success, his popularity. he wanted to be part of the team. he said, what i do either flying for the navy during the war, or being an astronaut is the work i do. and what i'd do is people expect me to accomplish these things. >> jim lovell says she wants armstrong to remember -- to be remembered for more than the world's worst famous astronaut. >> he was a great naval

>> well, jim lovel and i were supposed to go fishing in alaska.ut neil made as he said, he screwed up and penciled in two things and he had a commitment he had to keep. and i didn't see him thing. i think it was jim and i were with neil in stince since, ohio, probably a month ago. i was planning to see him. we were having a 40th reunion and anniversary of the significance of what happened in the apollo yires, using the date of the final steps on the moon this december, and neil was going to be a part of i tell you what, vintage neil armstrong, no one could compare to him when he got up and talked about something he believed in very strongly that is going to be a major loss to the country. >> mr. cernan you are perhaps the only person on earth to know what it is like to open the door of a spacecraft and step out on the moon. testimony us about that feeling if you can. >> few other people have done it and people say what is the first step on the moon like. first steps are taken by a lot of other people. not just neil but us who got there. it is it t

armstrong, you made the case in your statement, and by the way, we will insert in the record jim lovell's prepared testimony. that will be a part of the record. you made the statement that we should go back to the moon. i want you to tell us why you think returning to the surface of the moon is important as opposed to a lunar fly by and going to be lebron gin -- lag ronigan point as we have the destination to go to mars? >> thank you, mr. chairman. i believe there is value in returning to the moon. we know 1000 times more about the moon than before apollo. but there is still so much of it that is undiscovered. and ventured upon. -- unventured upon. there may be materials that can be used as such time as permanent settlements would be made there. it is worthwhile knowing about those things. so i think there is value going to the surface. nevertheless, there is also value in using the moon as a location from which you do other activities. that can be reached easily by communication with only a second and half time. and allows mission control to be involved in the safety of the operation. we

neil, jim lovell, and i have come to a conclusion that this budget has no focus, is in fact a blueprint for a mission to know where. -- know where -- nowhere. it is based on the assumptions of those competing for the elusive contract who say they can achieve more in three years and they can do it for something less than $5 billion. based upon my personal experience and what i believe is possible, i believe it might take as much as a decade, a full decade, and cost two times or three times as much as they predict. although i strongly support the idea of commercial access to space, the folks to propose such a limited architecture did not yet know what they don't know. there are a myriad of technical challenges in the future and safety considerations, which cannot be overlooked, as well as a business plan and investors they will have to satisfy. all of which will lead to delays which will cost the american taxpayer billions of on allocated dollars and lengthen the gap from the shuttle retirement to the day we can again access global -- access low earth orbit, leaving us hostage as a nation